Saturday, February 27, 2016

There were tears, kisses — and “family” galore — at Monday’s emotional send-off for Angela “Big Ang” Raiola, star of the reality-TV show “Mob Wives.”
Raiola — the brash-talking, big-bosomed, big-lipped doyenne of the
VH1 show — was laid to rest after a morning Mass inside the Basilica of
Regina Pacis Church on 65th Street in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
Among the mourners were her castmates, including: Karen Gravano, the
daughter of mob turncoat Sammy “Bull” Gravano; Drita D’Avanzo, wife of
mobster Lee D’Avanzo, and Carla Facciolo, the daughter of Gambino crime
family associate Louis Facciolo.
Carla Facciolo’s uncle, Bruno, worked under Lucchese capo Paul Vario,
who was played in the movie “Goodfellas” by Paul Sorvino. His
character’s name was changed to Paul Cicero.
Raiola, who died Thursday at age 55 from complications of cancer,
went out in a style befitting her larger-than-life character. She was
remembered in a flower-crammed church, with white pigeons released after
the ceremony.
After a Mass led by Monsignor David L. Cassato, mourners congregated
in the street as a large crowd — including many of them fans of the show
— also gathered to gape.
Big Ang’s ties to the mob came through her uncle, Salvatore Lombardi,
who was known as Sally Dogs, a low-key capo of the Genovese crime
family.
Her big personality made her the most popular character on the show, which is now in its sixth and final season.
Those also on hand to say goodbye to her included: her estranged
husband, Neil Murphy, a city sanitation worker; brothers, Louis and
Stephen; her sister Janine Detore, and her kids, Anthony and Raquel.
The venue for her funeral was appropriate.
Precious jewels were twice stolen from the church — only to be returned after the purported intercession of Mafia kingpins.
In May 1952, the jewels, which were used to adorn a painting of the
Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, were stolen several months after they’d been
flown to Rome to be blessed by Pope Pius XII.
Eight days after they were discovered missing, they were mysteriously
mailed back to the rectory, supposedly after the personal intercession
of Joseph Profaci, the head of a local mob family who had personal ties
to the church.
In January 1973, the same jewels, valued at more than $100,000, were
again stolen and then returned after the FBI made contact with
organized-crime figures, a federal official said at the time.
The mobster who helped return them was later identified as Gregory Scarpa Jr., a powerful Colombo family capo.